[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9728]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     COMMENDING DENNIS HEINDL FOR WORK IN COMBATING OPIOID EPIDEMIC

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, thousands of Americans 
lose their lives every year across communities of all sizes to a 
terrible epidemic, and that is an epidemic of substance abuse that 
steals lives, that steals futures, and that tears apart families.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the efforts of a constituent of mine, 
Dennis Heindl, who lives in Elk County, located in Pennsylvania's Fifth 
Congressional District. Mr. Heindl is the owner of Laurel Media, based 
in Ridgway. After seeing the effects of the opioid abuse and heroin 
epidemic affecting our Nation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and 
areas such as Elk County, Dennis was compelled to act.
  He set up a telephone hotline in an effort to fight back against drug 
use in communities across the region. The hotline is anonymous, 
strictly confidential, and is being administered by the North Central 
Pennsylvania Municipal Drug Task Force. Mr. Heindl is offering a $1,000 
reward for any information that leads to the arrest or conviction of 
any individual who sells or distributes illegal or prescription drugs.
  In addition to the hotline, Mr. Heindl is organizing a series of 
anti-drug meetings across the area. In fact, the latest meeting in the 
community of Ridgway drew a crowd of nearly 300 people all interested 
in taking their town back from this horrible epidemic.
  Just like in so many other areas of our Nation, communities across 
Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District have suffered as a result 
of this drug epidemic. Elk County is ranked ninth in Pennsylvania in 
overdose deaths per population of 100,000 people while, further west, 
Crawford County has seen its overdose deaths double in the past 4 
years.

                              {time}  1015

  Now, I am so proud of the efforts of the people such as Dennis Heindl 
and all those across the Fifth Congressional District who are helping 
in the efforts to fight back against drugs.
  I am also proud of the package passed recently in this House, which 
will make grant funding available to States and local governments for 
the creation of opioid reduction programs, creates a task force to 
review prescribing practices, and cares for babies who are born opioid 
addicted and dependent.
  If we all work together, I know that we can win this battle.

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